Parallelism | Definition & Examples

Parallelism involves using similar structures in two or more phrases, clauses, or sentences, like in the phrase “To err is human; to forgive, divine.” This technique enhances rhythm and balance within the text, making it more engaging and memorable for the reader. Parallelism is common in both everyday speech and works of literature.

What is parallelism?

Parallelism is a stylistic and rhetorical device that refers to the use of similar grammatical structures within sentences or phrases to create balance and enhance clarity. Depending on the context, it has slightly different meaning:

• In grammar, parallelism (also called parallel structure or parallel construction) is the matching of the forms of words, phrases, or clauses within a sentence.
• In rhetoric and literature, parallelism is often used as a rhetorical technique to amplify ideas through repetition of structure.

Parallelism in grammar

Parallelism in grammar is important especially in items that appear in a series or list, for example “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Lack of parallelism is not always grammatically incorrect. However, without parallelism, sentences can feel awkward or confusing. When elements in a sentence should be parallel but are not, it is called faulty parallelism.

Parallelism in rhetoric and literature

Rhetorical parallelism goes beyond using similar grammar; it creates a smooth flow that captures people’s attention and drives the point home.This technique also lends a certain pleasing rhythm to a sentence or paragraph, giving it a poetic quality.

Parallelism is commonly found in the literature of the ancient Middle East, like the Bible and the Quran, as well as in proverbs and political speeches.

Types of parallelism

One way to categorize different types of parallelism is to look at the different levels which parallelism works on:

• Syntactic level, which involves grammatical structures
• Semantic level, which involves conceptual relationships
• Phonological level, which involves sound-based repetitions

Syntactic parallelism

Syntactic parallelism involves repeating the same grammar pattern in different parts of a sentence or across sentences. It is like creating a linguistic rhythm that makes your words flow smoothly and sound pleasing to the ear.

Semantic parallelism

Semantic parallelism is about creating meaningful connections by using words that are very similar (synonymous parallelism), opposite (antithetical parallelism), or that expand upon an idea to add depth (synthetic parallelism). It helps you emphasize ideas by showing how they relate, contrast, or build upon each other.

Phonological parallelism

Phonological parallelism is about creating sound-based repetitions and patterns in language, including alliteration (repeating the first sounds of words), assonance (repeating similar vowel sounds), and rhyme (matching end sounds of words).

Parallelism examples

William Shakespeare’s play Richard II chronicles the protagonist’s journey from a powerful king to a deposed ruler. In the following lines, Shakespeare masterfully employs parallelism to convey the protagonist’s psychological transformation and loss of royal identity.

Each line follows an identical grammatical structure: “My [noun] for a [alternative noun],” creating a rhythmic cadence. Additionally, the pairs of opposites, such as “jewels”/”beads,” and “gorgeous palace”/”hermitage” highlight the contrast between royal magnificence and a simple way of life.

In the following passage from The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway employs parallelism as a minimalist narrative strategy that defines his style. The consistent verb structures, such as “woke,” “looked,” “unrolled,’ create a rhythmic, matter-of-fact narrative progression reflecting the protagonist’s austere existence

Politicians often employ parallelism in their speeches to make them more memorable and reinforce certain themes. This excerpt  from John F. Kennedy’s Address to the Irish Parliament, uses semantic parallelism when contrasting the ideas of “youngest of nations” and “oldest of civilizations.” It also demonstrates syntactic parallelism, particularly in the final sentence: Each clause begins with “you have” followed by an action verb and a complement, creating a balanced and rhythmic structure.

Related literary devices

Several literary devices employ parallel structure but they typically focus on different stylistic effects. However, there are instances where these devices overlap with parallelism, as a sentence or phrase may exhibit qualities of more than one device.

• Antithesis: A contrast of ideas expressed through parallel structure. While antithesis uses parallelism to emphasize opposing ideas (e.g., “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”), its primary purpose is to highlight contrasts.
• Anaphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses for emphasis. (e.g., “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds …”)
• Epistrophe: The repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive phrases, clauses or sentences (e.g., “What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”). Unlike parallelism, which emphasizes balanced structure, epistrophe emphasizes the repeated ending.
• Asyndeton: The deliberate omission or absence of coordinating conjunctions, such as “like” “and,” “but,” and “or” from a series of clauses or sentences (e.g., “She sang, she danced, she laughed, she lived”). While asyndeton may create parallel structure, its primary purpose is to create a sense of speed or intensity through the absence of conjunctions.

Frequently asked questions about parallelism

What is the difference between parallelism and repetition?

The main difference between parallelism and repetition is their focus and purpose.

• Parallelism uses similar grammatical structures in phrases or clauses to create balance and clarity, making sentences easier to read. For example, “He likes swimming, hiking, and camping” illustrates parallelism.
• Repetition is a broader term that includes figures of speech like anaphora and alliteration, emphasizing content and emotional impact. By repeating sounds, words, or phrases, it can highlight a point or create rhythm.

While all parallelism involves repetition, not all repetition follows a balanced structure. However, they can overlap, as seen in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, where the repeated phrase “I have a dream” provides both rhythmic emphasis and structural balance.

What is an example of parallelism?

An example of parallelism is the phrase “Easy come, easy go.” Like many common sayings, its purpose is to be memorable, and this is achieved through parallel structure: both “easy come” and “easy go” follow the same structure of an adverb (“easy”) modifying a verb (“come” and “go”). This creates a symmetry which reinforces the idea of equivalence—that things gained easily are lost just as easily.

What is faulty parallelism?

Faulty parallelism refers to the lack of parallelism and the subsequent loss of clarity. It is a grammatical error that occurs when elements in a sentence that are meant to be similar are not expressed in the same grammatical form. For instance, if a sentence includes a list of actions, all items should be in the same grammatical form:

• My hobbies are painting, swimming, and taking photos.
• My hobbies are painting, swimming, and to take photos.